


If I Stumble On The Way

by PatchworkIdeas



Series: GatheringFiKi's 12 Days of Christmas 2020 [19]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Light Angst, Supportive Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:27:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28289910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PatchworkIdeas/pseuds/PatchworkIdeas
Summary: Fili, first born, strong and noble, has his insecurities and fears just like everyone else.Fortunately, he doesn't have to face them alone.
Relationships: Fíli & Kíli (Tolkien)
Series: GatheringFiKi's 12 Days of Christmas 2020 [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2054739
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7
Collections: GatheringFiKi - 12 Days Of Christmas 2020





	If I Stumble On The Way

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by GatheringFiKi's gorgeous Photoset!
> 
> Shown here with permission, and the original post can be found on [Tumblr.](https://gatheringfiki.tumblr.com/post/638400001213644800/12-days-of-christmas-2020-day-12-bonus-fullsize)

* * *

Of all the times to have broken his ankle.

Of course, technically, he broke his ankle trying to get away from all of this. Hike into the woods and conveniently get himself lost for a day or two. The grounds were sprawling after all. Massive. He had just taken a stroll to clear his head and was so lucky to have finally found his way back!

Instead he had slipped, broken his ankle, and been found by one of the guards.

Couldn’t it have been Kili who found him at least?

But it hadn’t been, so now he was coddled and prepared and would be presented at the head of the table, in a celebration of something he would rather mourn.

And of course, with a broken ankle, he couldn’t even run away from the countless dames who doubtlessly had their claws ready to try and catch the future most powerful man in the land.

He loved his family. He loved his mother, and his brother and his aloof uncle and all the people that worked for him.

He did not love how he was supposed to treat them. How he was supposed to hold himself apart, to take over his uncle’s title when the time came.

He didn’t want to be anything better. He didn’t want to play games with people’s lives and livelihoods the way his uncle was forced to.

Fili didn’t want to grow cold like his uncle had, after he had been crowned king.

But he couldn’t escape.

Not anymore, not with a broken ankle.

If he was honest with himself, it hadn’t been much of a plan to begin with. Just because he was missing for a few days didn’t mean it wouldn’t still happen. And even if he had managed to escape his fate - his little brother would have been forced to take his place.

Fili would have never forgiven himself for that.

He might hate the fate that awaited him, but he knew he would have come back in the end. Probably too late for all the fussing he was now forced to endure, but still in time for the ceremony and feast.

It was just... he had talked with Kili that morning. About who they were and who they wanted to be. And the differences between those two visions had been too big to ignore, had chocked him, turning the very air he breathed to stone.

He had felt Damocles' sword over his head and knew he couldn't fight, couldn’t win, couldn't change his fate.

He had to get away.

And he never, ever, could.

“You know,” Kili suddenly appeared behind him, shooing out the fussing masses trying to get him presentable despite his… mishap. “Just because things are a certain way now, doesn’t mean they have to stay that way. If you don’t like your future, change it.” 

Grimacing, Fili stayed silent, evading Kili's gaze. What choice, what options did he have? Especially like this?

“I’m serious Fee. We both know if you really want something you pull through with it - not whatever this was. If you want to run, I’ll help you. Heck, I’ll run with you because I certainly don’t want this job anymore than you do. But, as king, you would be uniquely positioned to change your own fate, your own life. You don’t like how people are treated? Treat them better. You don’t like how you're supposed to behave? Tell them to fuck off and be kind anyway. You despise the people trying to buy your trust? Throw them out on their ass. You don’t trust the people meant to support you? Find better people.”

“It’s not that easy-”

“It is! Fili, I know you have been told your whole life that things are done a certain way, but it will make you _miserable._ If you truly believe it can’t be changed, that the people can’t be protected from corrupted leaders, then let’s run. I’ll carry you out of here myself if I have to. You would do the same for me. But if you have even an ounce of the trust in yourself that I have in you, we’ll go out there together, and we’ll stand tall and proud and we’ll change the world. Either way, you don’t have to do it alone.”

Speechless in the face of Kili’s passion, Fili could do nothing but stare. He really had misunderstood their talk this morning, hadn’t he? Kili had tried to encourage him, but Fili had let his own fears get in the way.

Perhaps it was for the best he couldn’t run away, including from his younger brother.

“...Well, we are always told we have a duty to the people. I think it’s time we showed them what being responsible and loyal actually means. With you by my side I might actually have a chance in the horror house that is politics. Just… can you please keep the vultures off me? At least tonight? They are even worse then the politicians...”

Kili just laughed and threw him his new cane.

“Don’t worry, we’ll fight them off together!”


End file.
